Advocating for Sister Kelly

*From a letter submitted to Ordain Women in support of Sister Kelly.


From two thousand miles away, I certainly don't profess to know all the facts surrounding the charges brought against Kate Kelly. I know she's challenged church leadership to reconsider the policy reserving the priesthood solely for men. Not only that, she's done so publicly, and urged others to follow her. She's used a "discussion" style approach to proselytize her views, along with a website, that both mimic church missionary tools. Her tactics have won over a large following whose members espouse views that are in direct opposition to the clearly stated position of the church.

Yet I do not find her apostate or worthy of church discipline. Neither should you.

Church discipline is intended protect both the good name of the church as well as its members. Identical behavior to Sister Kelly's in advocating a return to polygamy, for example, would clearly harm the membership and the good name of the church and warrant discipline. This is obviously because practicing polygamy violates the law, in some cases preys on women and girls, and brings the church's name into disrepute.

The same cannot be said of a call to ordain women to the priesthood. Ordaining our sisters would cause no harm to them or to others and is a widely accepted practice in many other churches. Far from bringing disrepute to the good name of the church, a shift in policy to ordain our sisters would elevate the church's standing socially. Such a move would likely even retain members who have distanced themselves from fellowship.

Disciplining Sister Kelly would not only fail to protect the church, it would damage the testimonies of those who look to church leaders as models of "persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness and meekness, and love unfeigned." Discipline would also harm Sister Kelly. Rather than lead her to repentance, it would prove the point that her leaders are intolerant of female voices, of empowered women.

It might be said that the very act of advocating a change in church policy harms the church by undermining the authority of the ordained leadership. The suggestion that the ark needs steadying, the argument goes, implies that those called by revelation do not always receive it, that their inspiration and calling are somehow insufficient.

I don't claim to fully understand the scriptures, but I do know that leaders have always received counsel from others. Moses didn't discipline Jethro over the organization of judges. Peter didn't discipline Paul and Cornelius over the baptism of the Gentiles. Joseph didn't discipline Emma over the Word of Wisdom. Our councils would be quiet places indeed if we forbade the expression of differing viewpoints to somehow protect the ark from being steadied.

Perhaps Sister Kelly is wrong as a matter of doctrine. Her tactics, however, simply amount to those of one who wants her leaders and fellow Saints to consider a different perspective. They are not the practices of the apostate persuading others to leave the church. Rather, they are those of a member who believes in the restored gospel and passionately advocates a policy change.

If church leaders ultimately reject her position, they can simply smile and politely communicate their views to her and others. This has already been done in General Conference and elsewhere. Sister Kelly has already indicated that she is not planning another protest at the Priesthood Session.

Had Sister Kelly truly been apostate, she would have left the church on her own and taken others with her. She has not followed this path. Instead, she has chosen to attempt continued dialogue, recognizing the authority of those who have been called, and asking them, again, to reconsider their views. Should she, in the future, attempt to lead others out of the church, holding out herself as possessor of a false priesthood, excommunication would be warranted.

As long as she, instead, asks those who hold the priesthood to listen to her views and exercise their own authority to change policy, she is not apostate. She is simply a voice with a different point of view, wrestling, like Jacob, for a blessing.